Since neither I nor any of you can visit Antarctica, I thought I'd bring Antarctica to you -- to your computer screens, to be exact. I thought this video (by one of my parrot pals!) of a baby penguin eagerly greeting its human care-giver might cheer you up:

Cookie is a young little penguin, Eudyptula minor, residing at the Cincinnati Zoo. Sharp-eyed birders in the audience will know that I lied: this species actually is not found in the Antarctic -- instead, they breed along the entire coastline of New Zealand, on the Chatham Islands, and on the southern coast of Australia.

As you learned on this adorable video, this particular penguin is suffering from bumblefoot. In aviculture, there are two conditions known as bumblefoot: one is a condition where the young bird's toes develop abnormally so they point in weird directions, making walking, perching and swimming difficult. This condition can be completely resolved through the use of corrective bandages that make the toes grow correctly -- if it's caught early enough.

The other condition, which occurs in either young or adult birds, is a bacterial infection, and is more correctly known as ulcerative pododermatitis in veterinary medicine. In this situation, application of antibiotic ointments and bandages resolve this condition -- if it's caught early enough. Without treatment, the bird may lose its toes or even its entire foot.

Regardless of which form of bumblefoot this young penguin is suffering from, it appears that her condition will be completely resolved soon.